●Consolidated IPv4/IPv6 address management: Cisco Prime Network Registrar includes integrated, full lifecycle management for IPv4 and IPv6 and allows dual-stack deployments on a single server. The full-featured DHCPv6 server provides support for address assignment, both stateless and stateful configuration, and prefix delegation for full IPv6 address management. The IPAM component helps ease the transition to IPv6 with the ability to discover and take inventory of IPv4 and IPv6 resources, plan and model the way an IPv6 network is deployed, and map a current IPv4 network and devices to an IPv6 space.

●Management complexity minimized with centralization and automation: Cisco Prime Network Registrar IPAM allows administrators to control and monitor DNS and DHCP servers from a centralized location, providing a single point of data aggregation and delegation. This helps to synchronize information, eliminate many manual, time-consuming, and error-prone tasks, and reduce complexity and operating costs. In addition, with the ability to discover, track, allocate, assign, and reclaim IP addresses automatically, network operators can easily achieve significant efficiencies. Automation also helps eliminate IP conflicts and configuration errors, reducing downtime of DHCP and DNS services and lowering network operating costs.

●Extensibility: Powerful, industry-leading extension support for both IPv4 and IPv6 allows network operators to alter and customize DHCP server operations for both IPv4 and IPv6, improving network security, network performance and third party application integration.

●Componentized licensing: Cisco Prime Network Registrar is licensed by component - DHCP, DNS, IPAM, and DNS Caching are all licensed individually in order to meet different customers’ requirements. Components can be purchased individually or as one of two suites (DHCP/DNS or DHCP/DNS/IPAM).

Table 1 provides a detailed listing of enhancements and new features of Cisco Prime Network Registrar.

Table 1.Enhancements and New Features of Cisco Prime Network Registrar

Enhancements and New Features

Description

Benefits

IP Address Planning

Intuitive GUI

The IPAM module provides a web-based interface that allows users to associate address blocks easily with geography, topology, or other user-defined hierarchies.

Administrators can quickly visualize the network and allocate addresses based on current and future requirements. The easy, intuitive GUI provides a single, comprehensive view of IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

Planning for hierarchical IPv4 and IPv6 address space with a continual feedback loop

IPAM tools facilitate development of a disciplined IP address plan that can be deployed, monitored and tracked automatically. Network operators can plan and stage IP block or subnet allocation, IP address assignment, addition of a new DHCP pool and associated parameters.

When adding a subnet or IP address, automated reclaim provides accuracy assurance that what the database indicates is “free”- is actually free. The reconciliation action then feeds back to the plan in terms of adding or changing the database based on discovered information or the freeing up IP addresses or subnets through reclaim.

Helps ensure that the IP inventory database is accurate and helps free up IP addresses or entire subnets.

Address utilization trending and forecasting

The IPAM component allows trending and forecasting of address pools.

Helps to prevent network access failure, calls to the help desk or customer care, lost revenue and expensive troubleshooting time.

Facilitates more accurate address planning and avoidance of IP addressing conflicts. Collection of network actual data enables comparison and reconciliation with the database as well as resolution of any conflicts. Upon completion of discovery, administrators also are able to easily add new devices to the database, identify unauthorized devices on the network and reclaim unused IP addresses.

User-defined thresholds and alerts

Users can set up thresholds and alerts - for example, for notification if an address space is over a designated utilization percentile or if an address pool is forecasted to deplete within a designated time frame.

Granular administrator policies within Cisco Prime Network Registrar IPAM dictate access to and visibility and control of given functions, geographies, domains, subnets and blocks.

Empowers administrators to delineate and partition responsibilities.

Audit reporting

Audit reporting provides history tracking for administrators, subnets, devices, IP addresses, and containers. Inventory reporting shows which device is assigned to which IP address within the network at any time.

Helps protect resource records against DNS vulnerabilities such as DNS cache poisoning. DNSSEC support also helps to ensure the authenticity and integrity of DNS records and servers being accessed and allows compliance for government agencies where DNSSEC is an operational mandate.

DNS64 support

The DNS caching server supports DNS64, synthesizing AAAA (IPv6) records from A (IPv4) records in order to provide an IPv6-only client access to an IPv4-only resource.

Helps facilitate the migration of IPv4 to IPv6.

Componentized Licensing and Purchase Options

New component licensing

The four Cisco Prime Network Registrar components are all licensed individually. Components can be purchased individually or as one of two suites (DHCP/DNS or DHCP/DNS/IPAM).

Helps meet different customers’ requirements and provides a cost savings to those who purchase more than one component.

About Cisco Prime

The Cisco Prime portfolio of enterprise and service provider management offerings empowers IT organizations to more effectively manage their networks and the services they deliver. Built on a service-centered foundation, the Cisco Prime portfolio of products supports integrated lifecycle management through an intuitive workflow oriented user experience. The portfolio of Cisco Prime solutions for service providers provides A-to-Z management for IP next-generation networks, mobility, video, and managed services.